29 Apr 2021
Industry groups have called on the government to take further steps to normalise trade with the EU after the European Parliament voted to ratify the post-Brexit trade deal.
EU lawmakers cleared the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) by 660 votes to five, with 32 abstentions.
Now, trade groups say the government must urgently address the 'teething problems' that have arisen since the UK left the EU in January.
Tony Danker, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, said: 'Ratification of the TCA is a decisive step forward, but it's far from the end of the process for business.
'The next phase is normalising relations between the UK and EU, in order to smooth trade and maximise the benefits of the new economic partnership.'
Hannah Essex, the British Chambers of Commerce's Joint Executive Director, said: 'It is now vital that both the UK and EU work together to alleviate the significant disruption and difficulty which many firms continue to report, especially with further changes still to come.
'The UK and the EU must now get back around the table and continue talks so they can build upon the arrangements set out in the TCA to deliver long-term improvements to the flow of trade between them.'